On Lake Nicaragua, a dream comes true at Jicaro Island Ecolodge
Karen Emanuel came to Nicaragua on vacation. She left with an island — and a new dream — Jicaro Island Ecolodge, a beautiful resort on the largest lake in Central America.
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Visiting Boston and the historic Boston Tea Party
There may be 21st-century LED holiday lights all over Boston, but we’ve time-traveled back to 1773 — Dec. 16, 1773 to be exact — the night that literally changed the course of American history.
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Six days in Nicaragua, the next family eco-travel destination?
We’ve followed our 22-year-old daughter Melanie here to Nicaragua, which many say is poised to become the next eco tourist’s must-see destination with volcanoes, cloud forests, pristine beaches and tiny eco resorts like Jicaro Island Ecolodge.
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Take the Kids Skating at The Rink at Bryant Park
this time of year also means winter fun and what better way to ring in the season than to go ice skating in Bryant Park in the heart of Manhattan.
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New ways to light up your holidays this season
Virtually every town and city in the country has holiday festivals and displays. You just have to make time to enjoy them. Skip the mall Santa (my kids always bawled) and take them someplace where you can all gawk at spectacular light displays
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Last day in Paris — to the local market and in a French cooking class for dinner
We’re seven strangers ranging from 22 to 60-something standing in a Paris afternoon outdoor market trying to decide. We’ve signed on for a cooking class with La Cuisine Paris, one of just a handful here that offers classes in English.
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A unique foodie tour led by a Paris Greeter who certainly knows his neighborhood
Today, we’re touring this hip foodie neighborhood with Edouard Morhange who live nearby and is on the board of the Paris Greeter organization, which offers some 3,000 free tours every year given by 360 greeters.
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A family tour of a Paris neighborhood with a local guide
We’re in Gerard Merlot, a shop famous for macarons in the St Germain district of Paris, with guide Genevieve, who we’ve met through a terrific company called Tours by Locals.
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A visit to the town where Vincent Van Gogh spent his final most prolific days
I’m literally walking in Vincent Van Gogh’s footsteps to the field where he painted the famous paintings like the Wheatfield of Crows and where he shot himself.
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In Rouen, France — Joan of Arc and Monet
In this medieval city, Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. Today we see a cathedral that was begun in 1145—amazing it is still standing after being damaged in WWII. Nearly 9,000 half timbered houses burned during WWII.
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Two days touring the D-Day sites in Normandy
We are at the famous Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial overlooking Omaha Beach, where the massive allied assault on the Normandy on June 6, 1944 aimed to liberate France and defeat Nazi Germany.
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A cruise with a difference — along the Seine in Normandy
I’m on a different kind of cruise—a River Cruise on the Seine in France on Avalon Waterways Creativity—just 140 passengers on this 361-foot long barge and with just 70 staterooms and two suites.
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Family gatherings at Gettysburg for 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s address
At the time, no one expected the speech to be a big deal. Lincoln had merely been asked to make a few remarks at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg, here in the Pennsylvania countryside, just four months after the searing battle that turned the tide of the Civil War.
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Learning about grapes and history in the Champagne region near Paris
We’re sitting in a family dining room in a tiny French village eating chicken cooked in champagne and sipping champagne. This is the Champagne Region of France afterall.
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Time-traveling in Paris — to a tiny hotel in a 17th Century building
We’ve moved from the heart of fashionable Paris to the St. Germaine neighborhood on the Left Bank and feel like we’ve time traveled, checking in to the tiny Hotel Verneuil, a 26-room hotel that is housed in a 17th century building.
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Touring the famous Louvre in Paris with a family-oriented guide
Eighty per cent of her clients are American families. She notes that most guides, while true experts in their field, aren’t often as willing to play to the kids’ interests so when booking a guide, it is key to make sure they appreciate that kids’ may not have as long attention span.
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Gather the family for a holiday feast at a country villa
You can gather the gang in a beautifully decorated home without doing all the work that typically entails, and without cooking at all — unless you want to. All you’ve got to do for a stress-free holiday is to celebrate at a vacation villa or condo rather than at your overcrowded house.
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To Keystone CO – one of the most kid-centric ski areas in the country
Keystone is Vail Resort’s most kid-centric resort, with kids-ski free (as long as you book a two-night stay), night skiing tweens and teens love and daily “Kidtopia” activities. There’s a parade through the village on Saturdays with kids being twirled around in tires, free cookies and hot cider in the ice-skating rink, the chance to meet and greet the avalanche dogs and ski patrollers, free kids sundaes and more.
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Exploring Niagara Falls — at the water and beyond
What I didn’t realize then — and I was glad to discover now — was how much there is for families — even those on a tight budget — to see and do here, beyond exploring the falls in what,
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San Diego’s “Kids Free Month” draws the family travelers
This month, kids can get into SeaWorld free in San Diego, Calif. Kids can also get into LEGOLAND, the San Diego Zoo, more than 30 San Diego museums and even ride free on Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner (typically one child with each adult paid admission). That’s no small thing
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In Aspen, kids playing with their food is encouraged!
Never were two boys more unlike one another than mine when it comes to cooking. My elder son, Tanner, age 8, abhors anything remotely culinary, while my younger, Brady, age 5, was all but born with an apron wrapped around his waist, a wooden stirring spoon in his hand. The consummate chef and critic.
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Day Three in Dallas – at the Zoo, Audubon Center, Presidential Library
My favorite exhibits were the ones that allowed me to feed the animals. I loved the feel of the giraffe licking my hand as he munched on lettuce leaves. My daughter had tropical birds land on the top of her head and drink sweet nectar right out of her hand.
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Day Two in Dallas — great places to take the kids for fun and learning
There are a great many new options for families visiting Dallas – take the kids to the Perot Museum of Science and Nature, or the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure. And the new Klyde Warren Park with its sparkling new playground is one of the most vibrant urban spaces around.
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A visit to the family friendly Texas State Fair
The State Fair of Texas Downtown Parade in Dallas traditionally kicks off the annual state fair, which runs through October 20. Locals and tourists lined the streets to watch dozens of colorful floats, marching bands, drill teams and cheerleaders.
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Getting your family outdoors with the help of the Appalachian Mountain Club
The Appalachian Mountain Club is celebrating the 125th anniversary of the mountain huts — the oldest hut-to-hut network in the country. The AMC is even older. Founded in 1876, it’s the oldest conservation and outdoor recreation organization in the country with more than 100,000 members and supporters. Today, a big part of its mission is to encourage families to get outdoors.
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Memories of a family sailing/diving trip to the British Virgin Islands
Today we are all diving as a family. The Wreck of the Rhone is just off Salt Island in two big pieces 60 to 80 feet down, but there are many smaller pieces.
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Families flock to aquariums in the fall for fun and learning
Fall is a great time to visit an aquarium — and go on a whale watch with your kids, whether you have a day off from school, are enjoying a weekend getaway or a reprieve during a college tour trip. Some aquariums also offer sleepovers and behind-the-scenes tours for marine life aficionados. Aquariums are a place to learn about the creatures who live deep in the sea and along the shore in far-flung destinations
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Remembering a special visit meeting locals in Jamaica
We’re about as far away from a manicured resort as we can get. Jamaica has an interesting Meet the People program that enables visitors like us to experience local culture by spending time with locals who volunteer to share a meal or tour you around a market. You can meet up with locals who share your profession or hobbies. But I’m not sure this is exactly what the Jamaica Tourism establishment has in mind.
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Ten ways for families to celebrate fall in the Midwest
I spent a few days in Rockford recently for a travel writers’ conference — Travel Media Showcase — and it gave me the chance to catch up with folks from across the Midwest. Chatting with them made me realize — once again — how much smaller Midwestern cities and towns have to offer families.
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Fun for families on the rivers and lakes in Wisconsin’s north woods
I’ve kayaked before, but never with the intention of following a historic route. In early August, I ventured out on a 20 mile kayak trip along the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway in Northwest Wisconsin along the Minnesota border.
